In her bid for mayor, the former District D councilwoman says "Norwalk can do better!" and promises to provide "Decisive Leadership" to make it better.

"The most important thing I would take care of right a way, in addition to addressing senior tax relief, would be school overcrowding, by sitting down with (Superintendent Steven) Adamowski and going over the facilities utilization study that will be out soon and looking at the next steps to address overcrowding -- whether it would be renovating or reopening an existing school, or opening a new building," Straniti said.

On Election Day this Tuesday, the former councilwoman (2005 to 2011) will face Mayor Harry W. Rilling (see related story), the city's former police chief, in Norwalk's 2015 mayoral election.

As a councilwoman, Straniti chaired the council's Ordinance Committee, which boosted tax relief for Norwalk seniors. She says more needs to be done and vows to have the committee revisit the issue.

"That's something I would act upon within my first 100 days in office," Straniti said.

The Norwalk Republican praises City Hall employees but sees room for improvement in how departments serve residents. She has proposed a permit-processing center.

"The permit-processing center would help move along projects of all sizes," Straniti said. At present "residents have to take an entire day off work to go to City Hall to go from the department to department."

For Norwalk's largest developments, such as the regional mall known as The SoNo Collection, Straniti believes a good precedent has been set in streamlining the review-and-approval process. She credits Republican Councilman Douglas E. Hempstead, Planning Committee chairman, for holding joint meetings with the Norwalk Redevelopment Commission to review the mall plan.

"The credit there all goes to the Common Council, and especially Doug Hempstead and his leadership on the Planning Committee of the Common Council, by moving things forward and making sure Norwalk gets the best deal and holding the joint meetings," Straniti said. "That is something I'd make policy if I'm elected, to keep projects moving forward."

Although Rilling stands by the work of his economic development director in the area of business development, Straniti says more can be done.

"People that open up a business in the city -- whatever size the business is -- should be contacted by somebody from City Hall," Straniti said. "It's essential that we as a city involve and engage the businesses as soon as they come to the city by reaching out to them."

Straniti acknowledges that development is moving forward, infrastructure is being fixed and schools are being funded but she doesn't credit the administration.

She maintains Wall Street Place was stalled by the developer's lack of financing and that infrastructure repairs were underway before Rilling took office.

"When I was on the council, we put about $5 million to $6 million every year into road paving, which is more than was ever done in the past, and funds for sidewalks," Straniti said. "We fixed flooding all over the city, redesigned many traffic signals and overhauled the treatment plant."

"The low taxes increase is a direct result of the Republican-led Board of Ed(ucation) side of the budget, which passed with bipartisan support," Straniti said. "If the Board of Ed(ucation) budget had increased the way the city's side did, we would have seen major tax increases."

Straniti, a lifelong Norwalker, operates a paralegal business in Norwalk. She founded the Broad River Neighborhood Association and has served as a trustee of Connecticut Community Colleges. She served as minority leader and later majority leader on the council.

She holds an associate's degree in paralegal studies from Norwalk Community College and a bachelor's degree in history from Sacred Heart University.